Shoes are not permitted on the travertines, which
can make the journey into the city a little difficult
since the wet calcium deposits under your feet are
hard and the way up is fairly long.
HIERAPOLIS
HİERAPOLİS
There are 2 gates to the old city, but
the main access is actually through the
travertines, not in fact the gates. Shoes
are not permitted on the travertines, which
can make the journey into the city a little
difficult since the wet calcium deposits
under your feet are hard and the way up
is fairly long. The sensation is similar to
walking on a path made of wet, smooth
coral.
Hierapolis is about 20 km north
of Denizli. It is called a Holy City in
Archeological literature because there
were many temples and religious buildings
within the city limits. The ancient city is
situated between several historical areas.
Information about Hierapolis is limited.
It is known that the king of Pergamum,
Eumenes II, founded the city in 190 BC. It
was named Hierapolis after the Amazon’s
Queen Hiera, the wife of Telephos, the
founder of Pergamum. (Pergamum is also
called Pergamon or Pergamos).
Hierapolis’ original state in Hellenistic
urban principles was protected until the
big earthquake during the time of Roman
Emperor Nero. It was completely destroyed
by the earthquake in 60 A.D. During the
reconstruction after the earthquake, the
city lost its Hellenistic Style and became
a typical Roman City. Right after the
Byzantine period started, Hierapolis
continued to be an important center thanks
to its commercial and religious position.
Hierapolis was conquered by the Turks at
the end of the 12th century A.D.
According to the ancient geographers
Strabon and Ptolemaios, Hierapolis was
very close to Laodicea and Tripolis, which
was along Kario’s border. That’s why it
was referred to as a Phrygian City. There
is no information about Hierapolis’ history
before the Hellenistic Era, besides the fact
that we know there was a city there before
then. It’s called Hierapolis because of its
Mother goddess Cult.
Eski şehre iki kapıdan giriliyor ama ana
giriş, kapılardan değil travertenlerden sağlanıyor. Travertenlere ayakkabıyla girilmiyor. Islak kalsiyum tortuları üzerinde biraz
zorlu biraz uzun bir yolculuğa hazır olun.
Tıpkı ıslak pürüzsüz mercanlardan yapılmış bir yol üzerinde yürüyormuşsunuz hissine kapılacaksınız.
Türkiye’nin Denizli ilinin 18 kilometre
kuzeyinde yer alan Hierapolis antik kentinin Arkeoloji literatüründe “Kutsal Kent”
olarak adlandırılması, kentte bilinen birçok tapınak ve diğer dinsel yapının varlığından kaynaklanıyor.
Kentin kuruluşu hakkındaki bilgilerin
kısıtlı olmasına karşın Bergama Krallarından II. Eumenes tarafından MÖ. II. yüzyıl
başlarında kurulduğu ve Bergama’nın efsanevi kurucusu Telephos’un eşi Amazonlar kraliçesi Hiera’dan dolayı Hierapolis
adını aldığı biliniyor.
Hierapolis, Roma İmparatoru Neron
dönemindeki (MS. 60) büyük depreme kadar Helenistik kentleşme ilkelerine bağlı
kalarak özgün dokusunu sürdürmüş. Deprem kuşağı üzerinde bulunan kent, Neron
dönemi depreminden büyük zarar görmüş
ve tamamen ye